Welsh singer Duffy swept the Brits last night with three awards including the coveted best album prize for Rockferry, while Coldplay were left in the cold with no wins from four nominations.
The prizes seal a remarkable debut for Duffy, a relative unknown just a year ago.
Rockferrywas Britain's top-selling album of 2008 and worldwide sales are close to five million.
The 24-year-old, who won a pop vocal album Grammy in the United States 10 days ago, also scooped Brits for British female and British breakthrough act.
Both Duffy and Coldplay, who performed their single
Viva La Vidaat the ceremony, were nominated for four awards.
After winning three Grammys including song of the year, Coldplay, one of the world's biggest bands, walked away from the Brits empty-handed.
The show kicked off with U2's rendition of
Get On Your Boots, the first single from their upcoming album
No Line on the Horizon, which is released in Ireland next Friday.
Among the highlights of the night was Take That's performance of
Greatest Day, with the group descending on a UFO-type platform into a screaming arena.
In other categories, heavy metal veterans Iron Maiden were the surprise winners of the best British live act award.
US band Kings of Leon, whose record sales in Britain and Australia eclipse those in their home country, were the other multiple winners on the night, when they scooped the international group and international album categories.
US performer Katy Perry won best international female act and compatriot Kanye West was named best international male.
The British male solo artist prize went to Paul Weller while Girls Aloud won the public vote for best British single with the track they performed on the night,
The Promise.
Organisers have highlighted the global impact of British music in 2008, underlined by the flurry of Grammys, the industry's most coveted honours.
But Robert Plant, former lead singer of Led Zeppelin who picked up five Grammys for his acclaimed collaboration with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss, was snubbed by the Brits, receiving no nominations.
Florence & the Machine won the critics' choice award while the Pet Shop Boys received an award for outstanding contribution to music, and wound up the show by performing a medley of some of their biggest hits.
Reuters